Blue Water Services to lease Kewaunee County Landfill after closure

When the Kewaunee County Landfill officially closes later this year, Blue Water Services of Kewaunee will open a transfer and recycling station to collect refuse and transport it to other facilities.

The County Board voted 18-1 on Dec. 19 to approve the lease of five acres for a five-year contract with the option for an automatic five-year renewal. Each year, Blue Water will have an option to increase the acreage.

Supervisor Doug Doell was the dissenting vote. Supervisor John Mastalir, who owns Blue Water Services, left the meeting and did not participate in the discussion. He has recused himself from all deliberations as the agreement made its way through the Highway/Solid Waste and Finance committees.

Improvements such as paving around the building or adding a perimeter fence would be done at Blue Water’s expense.

The agreement also calls for Blue Water Services to purchase most of the equipment at the landfill site. It has a truck and auto repair shop at 417 Harrison St. and a dumpster rental office at 407 Park St. in Kewaunee.

The company will pay the county $6,000 in rent, along with tipping fees for receiving solid waste – $1 per ton for the first 1,000 tons, $2 per ton for 1,001 to 2,500 tons, and $3 per ton for any tonnage over 2,500 tons.

“Anyone who would be bringing waste would pay whatever fee that was set by Blue Water Services,” County Administrator Scott Feldt told the board. “That tonnage would be recorded, and then … Blue Water Services would pay the county.”

The county sent a request for proposals last year to companies that might want to lease the landfill, and Blue Water Services was the only company to submit a proposal.

The landfill in the town of West Kewaunee is expected to be closed in late May and capped. The board voted three years ago not to seek a license to operate what would have been Phase III of the landfill’s expansion.

About The Author

Award-winning longtime wordsmith, journalist and podcaster, Warren is a reporter, editor and storyteller who lives near the shores of Green Bay with his wife, two golden retrievers, and a couple of cats.